


Closer Than You Think

by darkwings17



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, Archangels, Based on an Among Us Game, DCRB2021, DeanCas Reverse Bang, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Established Relationship, Imposters, M/M, Possession, They're Actually On A Ship, space ship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-20 11:48:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30004434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkwings17/pseuds/darkwings17
Summary: What do you do when you're the captain of a space ship and suddenly the alarms and lights are flashing everywhere?What do you do when one of your crew members informs you there has been a breach and the whole ship is disabled?What do you do when you discover there are two extra lifeforms aboard your ship?What do you do when your crew members start dropping like flies and you have yet to find the imposters?What do you do when the imposters are actually closer than you think?
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16
Collections: Dean/Cas Reverse Bang 2021





	Closer Than You Think

**Author's Note:**

> Hi y'all!!
> 
> I am so excited about this one! This is my entry for the [DCRB](https://deancasreversebang.fandom.com/wiki/Dean/Cas_Reverse_Bang_Wiki). This is based off of the game Among Us and when I saw the art I could not stop thinking about the hundreds of different ways I could go with this prompt. The challenge with it was that they actually had to be on a ship. Working with Jaeh to find the story line we both loved was so much fun and this is what came out of it!
> 
> Thank you to the mods for putting this all together!  
> Thank you to [Orange_Coyote](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orange_Coyote/pseuds/Orange_Coyote) for betaing this for me!!  
> Thank you to [ Jaeh (AO3)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaeh) [ (Tumblr)](https://ineffablynoice.tumblr.com/) for coming up with this idea and letting me run with it! Here is the [ art master post](https://archiveofourown.org/works/30006900) y'all should go check it out!
> 
> Also isn't the banner the most adorable thing you have ever seen??
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy!!

Dean jerks awake, the world around him in complete chaos. Red lights flashing everywhere he looks. A constant loud alarm going off, drowning all other sounds. Dean watches as someone sprints by the doorway only to return a moment later. The flashing lights make it difficult to make out anything specific, but Dean would know his brother’s gigantic form anywhere.

“Dean!” Sam yells, his voice barely audible over the blare. Dean stands up from the bench he was napping on and walks over to hear his brother better. “Come on, we have to go meet the others.”

“What's going on?” Dean asks, following his brother down the hallway. 

“Not sure yet, everything shut down suddenly and then the lights and alarms went off,” Sam explains as they rush towards the cafeteria. “I was with Charlie and Adam when it all started so we split up to gather everyone.”

When they reach the cafeteria, the other eight have already arrived and are putting on their suits. Dean looks at them confused. The ship is sealed air tight, they shouldn't need their suits while on the ship. Unless there was a breach somewhere and that's why the alarms are going off. As if reading his mind Charlie yells at them to put their suits on. Dean rushes over to the storage unit and grabs his green space suit. He tosses Sam his brown one and they suit up as quickly as they can. Once everyone is safely secure in their suits they gather around one of the tables

“Anyone know what happened?” Dean asks, shouting over the alarm still blaring. Most people shake their heads, looking around at the others. Charlie steps forward holding her tablet and even with the blinking lights reflecting in her helmet Dean can see her concern and panic.

“Basically from what I can tell, the ship is completely disabled.”

“What do you mean by completely disabled?” Sam asks from next to Dean.

“We are floating in space with a broken ship,” Charlie states as if that makes it any better.

“And the breach?” Castiel asks from across the table. Dean looks up and meets his eyes. His racing heart beat settles a little by just knowing, even with all the chaos and unknowns around them, Cas is safe in his cyan suit.

“I can’t tell where the breach is right now, but the O2 levels are dropping as we speak, so we need to find it,” Charlie says, looking back down at her tablet. Dean can make out a frown growing deeper on her face. She tries to hide it, but Dean has known her for well over a decade now.

“Charlie, what aren’t you telling us?” he demands, crossing his arms over his chest. If they are to figure out what's going on with the ship they need to know everything. 

The red head startles and stares at him through her helmet. Eventually she sighs and turns the tablet so that it's facing the group. “This is showing twelve life forms on the ship.”

“Twelve? There’s only ten of us,” Adam speaks up. Charlie nods looking around the room for something. 

Well that's not what Dean was expecting. Problems with the ship he can fix. Extra life forms? Not really his thing.

“How is that possible?” Cas asks.

Ash, the one who helped Charlie with most of the ship's programming, rushes over and takes a look at Charlie’s tablet. Dean can just barely make out his expression, but the usually boisterous carefree guy glares at the tablet, tapping the screen several times. He looks up, shaking his head, and Dean’s heart sinks. There really are two extra life forms on the ship with them. They haven’t even seen any other life forms on their year long journey! 

“Where are they?” Dean asks, hoping they can contain them and figure out a way to get rid of them quickly. He’s heard the stories and it is very rare someone actually meets a friendly life form outside of Earth.

“I can’t see that on the tablet, I’d have to go to admin,” Charlie explains.

“Son of a bitch. Alright, why don’t you and Ash go check that out while the rest of us figure out what else is going on with the ship.” Dean slips into captain mode. He needs to remain calm for the rest of the crew, because who knows what would happen if they knew just how panicked their captain really is. Charlie and Ash take off down the still flashing red hallway. Dean watches their pink and orange suits disappear around the corner before turning his attention back to the remaining crew members.

Everyone is looking at him with mixed levels of panic. His brothers, Sam and Adam, try to hide their true emotions behind a calm exterior, but Dean knows them well enough and notices their nervous ticks. Ketch appears more bored than anything which is pretty usual for the Brit. Dean has never been sure if he could fully trust him, but Ketch has never actually done anything wrong so Dean can't justify why. Dean would’ve thought Rowena wasn’t worried at all if it weren’t for her eyes skirting back and forth, landing on Nick before flicking away quickly. Nick looks the most panicked out of everybody. It’s the guy’s first trip out to space and to have it go this wrong, it might be his last too. Dean couldn’t blame the guy.

And then there's Cas. Cas is solid as a rock, the same way he always is. Dean fought for Cas to be captain instead of him for years because of this reason. Dean tends to have a temper that can get out of hand causing him to say and do things he later regrets. He takes more risks and tends to sacrifice himself more often than not. Most times it works out in his favor, which is what his superiors see and what led to them promoting him to captain. What they don’t know is that Dean wouldn’t even be alive if it weren’t for Cas constantly pulling him back from the brink of death. Dean has completely lost count of the amount of times Cas has saved his ass.

Cas has this stoic nature to him that somehow vibrates power; just by one look at him, you know he is not a guy you want to mess with. His icy blue eyes seem like they can look right through you and directly into your very soul at the same time. Dean has been caught in that steely gaze on multiple occasions and can’t help but stare back, opening himself up the only way he knows how and to the only person he would trust with his whole being. He’s not sure when it happened, but he is now almost completely dependent on Castiel.

He’s not the only one to feel that way. The first time Charlie met him, she claimed him as her best friend. Dean often finds them together, Charlie telling Cas all about the latest pop culture gossip and Cas trying his absolute best to follow her train wreck of thoughts. Rowena took a liking to him right away too and she is the only one Dean knows that can actually get Cas to blush and stammer over his words. Sam and Cas can talk books and lore for hours, Dean just rolls his eyes affectionately and calls them nerds. Dean’s not going to lie, he's pretty damn jealous even if he is the one in the relationship with Cas.

Somehow even with his “rusty people skills” (his words, not Dean’s, air quotes and all), Cas is the go to person with any problem. People are just drawn to him. Which is why it doesn’t surprise Dean to see Jack, the intern, clinging onto Cas’ arm as the man tries to calm him down. Jack won an internship with them after demonstrating his vast knowledge in intergalactic plants. Since this whole mission has been dedicated to discovering new species and attempting to find ways for them to grow back on Earth, this was the perfect mission for him. Cas is the ship's expert in all things plants and species, so the two of them have spent countless hours together in the greenhouse. 

Charlie and Ash come rushing back into the cafeteria, joining the group surrounding one of the tables. Just from their tense postures Dean knows something is wrong. “What did you two find? Do you know where the other two lifeforms are?”

“They didn’t appear on the map. There were the two of us in admin and then the eight of you here. No one else anywhere on the ship,” Charlie answers. There's panic creeping into her tone that sets off Dean’s protective instincts. Charlie is one of the most positive people he knows, but even she has her bad days. Dean has been there for some of them and he never wants to see his friend go through something bad again.

“Hey hey Charlie,” he murmurs, pulling the redhead into his arms. It's a little awkward with their suits on, but it's better than nothing and Charlie starts to settle. When he pulls back he rests their helmets together to gauge her well being. She gives him a slight nod and a smile telling him she will be okay. “Okay, so we don't know where or what the two other lifeforms are but we know they’re here, so everyone be on the lookout and don't go anywhere alone. Let's focus on what we know and can do in the meantime. Ash, what exactly is wrong with the ship?

Ash grabs one of the small tablets from the table Dean hadn’t noticed before and guesses the two of them brought them back from admin with them. “Well, a lot.”

“Yeah, I got that. How much can we fix?” Dean asks, rolling his eyes.

“It looks like all of it is something we can do pretty easily if we split up the tasks!”

“Great, why don't you, Charlie, and Sam go through all of the tasks and divvy them up to everyone so we can get this thing fixed and get out of here,” Dean orders. The three of them each grab a tablet and start going through everything that needs to be done while Dean thinks about what to do next. Luckily it doesn't take long to get the tasks divided and everyone set up with their own tablet with the list of their required jobs.

“Everyone have their task list?” Dean asks, looking around and getting nine heads nodding in response. “Good, now remember what I said, stay alert and don't go anywhere alone, got it? Stick to groups of three or four just to be on the safe side.”

Charlie, Ash, Ketch, and Nick all head for the reactor and lab to fix what needs to be fixed. Rowena, Sam, and Adam stay in the cafeteria and storage areas while Dean, Cas, and Jack all head up to the greenhouse and office. Cas and Jack want to check on the plants they have collected to make sure they haven’t been tampered with and Dean is hoping to find a way to turn off the alarm and flashing red lights. Charlie and Ash managed to set up the tablets with a minor comm setting in case of emergencies so if someone needs Dean, his tablet should alert him and the whole group to reconvene in the cafeteria.

Dean fumbles around in the office on the computers, trying to find the code to cut the alarms. He finally finds it and the world around him goes silent. Smiling slightly, Dean takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. With the blaring alarm silenced Dean can actually hear himself think for the first time since everything began.

There are two foreign lifeforms on his ship. He has an entire crew he has to protect and keep safe. They only have a few months left on this mission before they return back to Earth.This is the last thing he expected or wanted to happen. There are so many unknowns too, leaving Dean drowning in the sea of their problems. Most of those problems can be fixed though and that is their first priority. Get the ship fixed.

With new determination, Dean stands up from his chair and walks back out to the greenhouse to check on Cas and Jack. He watches the cyan and yellow suits move between the hundreds of plants, taking notes on their tablets and checking things off. Cas catches sight of Dean and makes his way over carefully. 

“They appear to be okay, even with the ship’s complete shut down. Luckily the greenhouse has its own O2 system and we just had to clean the oxygen filter,” Cas explains when he reaches Dean. They stand shoulder to shoulder watching Jack continue his work. Dean can’t help but lean a bit more into Cas’ presence. He needs his rock right now. Luckily Cas seems to sense this and pulls Dean into a tight hug. The suits make it an awkward fit, but just being back in Cas’ arms makes Dean instantly feel better. He wraps his own arms around Cas and clenches as tight as he can. Cas is here. Cas is safe. Cas has him. They will be okay.

As if some cosmic being just wants to see Dean’s whole world come crashing down around him, his radio crackles to life and Charlie’s voice comes over the comms in his helmet.

“Dean? Dean, do you read me?”

“I’m here Charlie,” he answers, moving away from Cas to focus on whatever Charlie needs.

“Its Ash.”

Dean’s blood turns to ice and his heart sinks into his stomach. “What about him?”

“He's um… Something happened to him. I found him passed out on the floor in the reactor room and he’s not responding to anything! I don't know what happened or what to do!” Charlie’s voice becomes more and more panicked with every word. Her breathing becomes ragged over the comms and Dean knows she's on the verge of a panic attack or has already fallen over the edge.

“Breathe Charlie!” he shouts, needing her to calm down. “Are Ketch and Nick still okay?”

“Yes, they’re both fine and with me now,” she replies, her tone still breathy, but less panicked.

“Good, have them carry Ash to the medbay. I’ll have Sam and Rowena meet them there to check Ash over. Then meet back in the cafeteria,” Dean orders, already having Jack and Cas follow him out of the greenhouse and back towards the cafeteria.

“Okay, we can do that,” Charlie replies. Dean knows between Ketch and Nick they can handle Ash and a slightly panicked Charlie as long as they keep their cool. When Dean reaches the cafeteria he calls for his brother and Rowena. Luckily both are okay and walk out of the storage room.

“Something is wrong with Ash,” Dean explains. Sam’s face turns from curious to concerned and he opens his mouth to ask a question, but Dean cuts him off before he gets the chance. “I don’t know much. Charlie found him passed out in the reactor room and he’s not responding. I’m having Ketch and Nick move him to medbay and need the two of you to go there to find out what's going on.”

Neither one hesitates or asks any questions, rushing down the hall towards the medbay. A minute later Ketch, Nick, and Charlie all appear, looking a little shaken up, but other than that they seem okay. Dean pulls Charlie into his arms trying to comfort her the best he can considering everything that has happened so far.

“Alright, progress report?” Dean asks the remaining crew members. 

“We got the lab completely fixed, there were just a few things out of place and broken. The three of us were on our way to help Ash with the reactor when Charlie found him passed out.” Ketch explains, taking the lead of his group since both Charlie and Nick still appear to be processing.

“Any of you see or hear anything out of the ordinary?” Three sets of eyes look at him as they shake their heads. With a heavy sigh Dean turns to Adam. “What were you guys able to get done?”

“The weather monitor is fixed and I took care of some of the asteroids and debris floating around us. I'm pretty sure our shields are down so I’ll fix those next. Other than that, I think there are a few minor things that are broken,” Adam goes through his list. The shields worry him a little, but Dean knows Adam can get them back up and working.

“That's good. Okay while Sam and Rowena try to figure out what's going on with Ash, let's continue to get this ship fixed.” Dean is about to separate them into new groups when his radio crackles back to life.

“Dean? I got something you’re going to want to see.” 

“Never mind, Sammy found something. Lets go.” Dean leads the large group to medbay where they find Ash on one of the sealed airtight beds with Rowena and Sam standing over them. Sam waves Dean over and points at Ash’s neck. Dean leans closer and squints through the glass and can barely make out a red mark below Ash’s ear. “What is that?”

“Angels,” Sam states.

“What?”

“That mark is from an angel. I was able to recognize it from one of the lore books we have and according to this, it is from an angel blade, but not a normal angel blade. This is specifically from an archangel blade,” Sam explains pointing to a diagram in one of the old books. 

“What does it do?” Dean asks, his eyes flicking over the page trying to process all of the information shown.

“If it were used on another angel it would mean instant death, but for some reason, when it is used on a mortal the effects take a lot longer. Basically once you have been touched with the blade your body shuts down on itself. There isn’t too much about it, but it takes a few hours to fully go into effect.”

“A few hours?!” Dean exclaims. They only have a few hours to save Ash. If they even can save him, that is. “Is there a cure? Anything we can do?”

Sam shakes his head and flashes his puppy dog eyes at Dean. “I honestly don’t know. I’d have to do some more research. Bright side is we now know what we are dealing with! We can ward this room against angels, so that Ash will be safe for now.”

“Okay you do that, while the rest of us get this ship back in working order.”

Sam nods his head and dives back into the countless books surrounding him. Dean watches for a minute, then pushing his worry for his brother away, he turns back to the other crew members. He gives them their orders and new groups before they all split, going in their different directions. Since Ash got hurt in the reactor room Dean decides to go there with Ketch to check it out. Rowena joins them saying she can probably find something in the lab that may help Ash. Dean keeps his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary as they go through the decontamination tunnel then enter the reactor room. He hesitates letting Rowena go alone, but knows he is more useful in the reactor room with Ketch.

The two men work side by side to get the reactor up and running again. It doesn’t take long with Dean’s expertise in mechanics and Ketch actually listening to him. After the reactor is working properly Dean notices the power circuit is messed up. He starts working on that when all of a sudden he hears a crash coming from the lab.

“Ro?” Dean shouts. Nothing in response. He turns back to Ketch. “See if you can get the power circuit straightened out while I go check on her.”

Ketch nods and Dean takes off running across the hall. A high pitched screeching sound fills his head sending pain shooting through his whole body. Dean sinks to the floor, clenching his eyes shut and covering his ears. Nothing helps the feeling of his brain frying. His heart is racing in his chest, tears are streaming down his face, then all of a sudden nothing. It's dark and silent. No pain. No high pitched screeching. With a gasp Dean’s eyes flash open and he is still in the hallway. Not wanting to think about what just happened, he scrambles to his feet and races into the lab only to find Rowena in her purple suit on the floor, broken glass surrounding her.

“Rowena?” Dean asks, his heart already sinking. He rushes over and turns her so that he can see her face. Her red hair is blocking her neck so Dean can’t check to see if the angel got her or not. Without wanting to waste any more time he hits the call button on his tablet and calls everyone to the cafeteria. Ketch comes running into the lab and freezes when he catches sight of Rowena in Dean’s arms.

“Can you take her to medbay?” Dean asks, his voice barely more than a whisper. Not saying a word, Ketch comes over and gently picks the red head up into his arms and walks out. Dean looks around the lab for anything, any clue, that will tell him what to do. He comes up with nothing. With a heavy sigh Dean follows after Ketch then makes his way to the cafeteria to meet with the rest of the crew. Everyone, minus the two injured, Sam, and Ketch are waiting for him and looking at him expectantly.

“The angel got Rowena,” Dean announces. He tries desperately to hide the wobble in his voice. He can’t let his own panic show, even if this is the most scared he has ever been, and he has been in a lot of life or death situations. The difference this time is that he is not the only one at risk. He has always been the one to willingly sacrifice himself, refusing to let anyone else do the dangerous tasks that are sometimes required. It drives his brothers and Cas crazy, but there is no way in hell Dean is letting any of them put themselves at risk. Or any of the crew for that matter. Most of them he would even count as family.

No one says anything to the news, probably too shocked to process it all at the moment. Cas catches his eye and they have a silent conversation separate from everyone else. Somehow, like he always does, Cas helps Dean calm down and clear his mind. 

“Dean? I think I found something, I’ll meet you all in the cafeteria.” Sam’s voice sounds over the comms. Minutes later he appears in the hallway and joins them, carrying a heavy looking book. “Okay, I think I found something. There is a specific combination of exotic plants that can create a salve and slow down the shut down process immensely. It's not a cure exactly, but it's all I have at the moment.”

Sam looks so desperate for an answer and not fully satisfied with not finding a cure yet. Dean claps him on the back, trying his best to be reassuring. “That's good, Sammy. It’ll buy us more time. You go with Cas to the greenhouse to see if we have those plants you need.”

Both men nod their heads and race down the hallway. Watching two of the most important people in his life leave his side, his protection, sets Dean’s nerves on edge. Not wanting to think about it much longer, Dean turns back to the group. “Status report.”

“We need to check the launch pad. I think that is where the breach may be,” Charlie answers, her voice slightly shaky. Dean wouldn’t have noticed if he didn’t know her as well as he did. But he does know her and he can tell just how scared she is. She’s not the only one either. Jack is looking lost and confused. Even Adam looks pretty spooked. 

“I can check the door logs,” Ketch suggests. “They may show something about how the angels are moving.”

It's a good idea and Dean agrees to go with him. The remaining four, Charlie, Nick, Jack, and Adam head for the launch pad. Dean knows if that is in fact where the breach is, they will need all of the help they can get. Meanwhile Dean follows Ketch to the comms room where the door log is stored. He watches as Ketch flips through it and sees the new entry of the group of four entering the launchpad. Suddenly the lights flick off, plunging the entire ship into near darkness. It reminds Dean of when he heard the high pitched screeching sound and he instinctively covers his ears, bracing for the pain again. But it doesn’t come.

“Dean?” Ketch’s voice comes from his right. 

“Yeah, I’m here,” Dean answers, removing his hands from his ears. “What happened?”

“It looks like every light on the ship is off,” Ketch replies. There's a light blue glow illuminating his face from the tablet in his hands. “I can’t turn them on from here, we would have to go to the office.”

“Awesome,” Dean mumbles under his breath, already dreading the trek through the dark to the office. The two men carefully make their way down the hall when suddenly the lights flash back on, momentarily blinding them both. “The hell?”

“I got the lights turned back on, but I don't know why they got shut off in the first place,” Cas’ deep voice comes through Dean’s comms. The rough gravelly voice usually sends shivers down Dean’s spine, but now there is too much going on for Dean to even think about sexy fun times with Cas. 

“The office is the only place to access the lights, did you see anyone or anything?” Dean asks.

“Negative,” comes Cas’ response.

“Um Dean?” Jack's timid voice comes next and Dean’s heart starts racing again. 

“Yeah bud?” he asks cautiously, already knowing he won't like what the kid has to say. But if he's talking then at least he is okay.

“It's Charlie.”

Dean’s heart skids to a stop entirely. His vision blurs and sound no longer exists. He barely feels his body as he sinks to the ground, staring off at nothing. Not Charlie. She has done nothing to deserve this, none of them have. Distantly he hears his name being called and something gripping his arm. Something comes into his eyesight, a blur of colors, slowly coming into focus to reveal Ketch’s face, surrounded by his red suit, crouching in front of him.

“Dean? Can you hear me?” Ketch’s voice finally becomes clear. Dean nods his head. “What happened?”

“Charlie,” he whispers. Ketch curses then helps Dean up. He knows he has to respond to Jack, but he’s not sure he has the words. Ketch seems to recognize this and radios to the group to meet back at medbay. He then helps Dean walk back the way they had just come. Sam and Cas catch up to them, Cas taking over for Ketch, his arm a comforting weight around Dean’s waist. Dean lets him take his weight and support him the rest of the way.

“What's going on Cas? I can't stop it and people keep getting hurt. I’m supposed to protect them and I can't even do that,” Dean says quietly so only Cas can hear. He’s the only one Dean trusts enough to be vulnerable in front of. Cas has never judged him for anything and has always been the voice of reason. Unless it comes to Dean’s safety, then Cas gets a bit over protective. It's valid though with how many times Dean has put himself in life or death situations.

“I know Dean, it's not your fault. Nobody could have predicted this would happen and we are learning as we go,” Cas tries to soothe him. “Sam and I got the necessary plants for the salve, so this will buy us more time while we fix the ship and find the cure. It’ll be okay.”

“But Charlie,” Dean whines. The thought of his adopted sister being hurt fills his stomach with dread.

“She’ll be okay. We will find a way to save her.” Cas pauses their steps and turns Dean to face him. Dean stares into the deep blue eyes he fell in love with many, many years ago. “I promise we will save them, Dean.”

The way he says it Dean knows it's true. They will either save their friends or die trying. Dean nods his head in understanding and they continue to make their way down the hall. When they reach the medbay the rest of the crew is standing outside waiting. Dean peers into the small room and watches as Sam mixes the plants together then quickly applies the paste to each member's neck where the matching marks lay. Dean feels a tug on his arm and turns to see Ketch looking over his shoulder.

“I think it’s either Nick or Adam,” Ketch whispers. Dean squints at him confused. “Angels can possess someone and use their body as their own. I think either Adam or Nick, or both are possessed. One of them has always been present at each attack and there's no way Jack would have hurt Charlie. They were the only other two there.”

The more Dean thinks about it the more it makes sense. But they have no concrete proof. He pulls Cas to the side and relays Ketch’s theory to him. From Cas’ knowledge of other lifeforms he agrees that it is possible. They make a quick plan to split up, one or two of them going with either Adam or Nick, and watch for any suspicious behavior. Dean and Jack pair up with Adam while Sam, Ketch, and Cas go with Nick. Dean can hardly focus on his own tasks of refueling the engines, constantly thinking about the threat of Cas and Sam with a possible archangel. 

Then there’s the fact that his other little brother could also be possessed. Dean watches him like a hawk. Aware of every move Adam makes while he refuels the other engine. Nothing seems off though. Either way he makes sure he is always positioned between Adam and Jack, not wanting to put the kid at risk. He would have preferred to leave him safely in the medbay, but Ketch pointed out that would have looked suspicious and they didn't want the archangels to know they were on to them. So, Dean made sure the kid would be safe with him.

“Dean, it was Nick,” Cas’ voice startles Dean. “Sam managed to use some enochian handcuffs he found in storage to secure him temporarily. But Ketch got hurt. We’re moving both to Medbay now, meet us there.”

Part of Dean relaxes knowing Sam and Cas are safe and they have one of the imposters contained. But there is still a part of him that is on edge since there is another one out there and they have no idea who it could be. It could still be Adam, but he wasn’t there when Rowena got attacked. It was only Dean and Ketch. And now Ketch is hurt. But Dean knows for a fact that he couldn’t have done it because one, he would remember if he had attacked one of his friends, and two, he heard the loud high pitched screeching that sent him straight to the ground, incapable of moving. 

The three of them make their way back to the medbay where they find Cas holding Nick by the arm and Sam tending to Ketch. Dean takes in the multiple medbay beds with his friends laying on them. They have never had this many people out before. Those beds have hardly ever been actually used. The sight sends shivers down Dean’s spine and knowing that he is at fault here since he couldn't protect his crew makes it even worse. The guilt settles in his stomach like lead.

“Is there any way to better secure him?” Dean asks Cas.

“I remember reading that a ring of holy fire and specific enochian symbols should be able to hold him until we find a way to banish him without hurting Nick,” Cas explains, never taking his eyes off of the imposter. Dean has been on the receiving end of that glare multiple times and has no idea how Nick - no, the angel processing Nick - is able to keep a smirk firmly on his face.

“Do we know who this guy is?” 

“The name is Lucifer, but my friends call me Luci,” Nick - Lucifer - answers for Cas. It is so eerie hearing Nick's voice and seeing Nick's body, but it not being him at all. Dean narrows his eyes and pins Lucifer with a glare that rivals Cas’.

“Yeah, we ain't friends buddy. Why are you here? And where is the other one?” Dean demands, taking a threatening step forward. Lucifer just starts laughing, a full body laugh. He throws his head back and his whole body shakes with the force. Dean has no idea what is so funny. Judging by the looks on the rest of his crew, they don't know either.

“Oh Dean Dean Dean, that is for me to know and for you to find out,” Lucifer smirks. There is a twinkle in his eye that causes the hair on the back of Dean’s neck to stand up. Scowling, Dean turns away before he punches the son of a bitch, and stalks down the hallway. He needs to figure out a solution and fast. He cycles through hundreds of ideas, none seeming to work for their situation. They have never had one of their own be possessed before and Dean has never heard of something like this happening either. He really wishes Cas wasn’t the one holding the imposter so that he could hold Dean instead.

Sam coming out of the medbay draws Dean's attention and he walks back to the waiting group. Sam acknowledges him with a grim nod before taking a deep breath. “Ketch will be fine, I applied the same salve and checked on the others. They’re stable, but we really need to find a permanent solution.”

“We still need to fix the other parts of the ship too. Once we find a way to banish these sons of bitches we are going to hightail it out of this entire galaxy,” Dean states. He’s tired of this cat and mouse game. All he wants is to have a fixed ship, a healthy crew, and be on their way safely. Unfortunately they only know how to do one of those things right now and even that seems like an impossible task at the moment.

“I know Dean. I’m going to hang back and do some more research to see if I can find anything while you four continue doing what you can,” Sam suggests. Everyone nods their heads in agreement and separate. Dean and Jack head back towards the admin and office areas to see if they missed anything before, while Cas and Adam check on the reactor to make sure everything is running smoothly there. Charlie and Ash’s task lists seem to be never ending and Dean swears they’ve already done a few of these things before. Those damn archangels keep messing things up for them.

Dean enjoys having Jack with him, it makes him feel better about the situation. Jack is a ball of sunshine that seems to never burn out. He has a smile on his face and looks at everything around them with a perspective Dean wishes he had. There’s always a positive side to things according to the kid. Even when Charlie got hurt and Dean had asked him if he was alright Jack just smiled up at him and said he will be if Charlie will be. Dean needs to remember that his friends and crew will be alright and it is his job to do everything he can to guarantee that happens.

The two of them go to admin first, double checking everything. Dean checks the set course for once they get the ship fixed while Jack checks the rest of the room. Suddenly that same high pitched screeching that knocked Dean out earlier comes back with a vengeance and Dean falls to the ground in pain. The whole inside of his body feels like it is vibrating within his skin. His blood is boiling and he can feel a trickle of it coming from his nose. Something breaks from above and showers him in what he assumes is glass. He really hopes it doesn’t puncture his suit. 

When the screeching finally recedes into a hum with a slight buzz, Dean realizes his comms have been busted. He opens his eyes to the majority of the room covered in darkness. Somehow his helmet light stayed intact, so he can see about three feet in front of him. Shards of glass are scattered around him, which he assumes are from the overhead lights that shattered. As he takes stock of his suit's condition he remembers he wasn’t in the room alone.

“Jack?” Dean yells into the open air. He scrambles to his feet and curses at the broken lights. The room isn’t too big, but he still can't see more than three feet in front of him. His eyes flick back and forth looking for any sign of the kid as he gingerly makes his way around the room. When Dean rounds the large table a small flashing red light on the floor draws his attention. “Jack!”

Jack lays on the floor, completely unresponsive to Dean, even when he shakes him. Trying his best not to panic Dean surveys the room around them looking for any sign of another being. He assumes the angel comes when the high pitched screeching sends Dean to the floor since that has happened with both Rowena and Jack now. Dean wishes the noise wouldn’t affect him so much so he could stay alert and protect his crew. It’s too late for that now since all but a few of them have been attacked. All he can do is get Jack to the medbay and hand him over to Sam for treatment.

Dean gingerly picks Jack up into his arms and makes his way out of the dark admin room. A few lights in the hallway are blown out too, but once he gets a bit further the lights are intact and working. He tries to get in touch with Cas but his comm set is too busted to get a signal through. The medbay comes into view and Dean hollers for Sam. His little brother comes rushing out of the room and takes in the sight before him. Dean watches as his face goes from confusion to concern to determination in just a few seconds. Sam rushes over and takes Jack from his arms, promising to get him better as soon as he can.

“I found a solution Dean. I need Cas though.”

“You’re going to have to call him, my comms got busted when Jack was attacked,” Dean explains, watching through the doorway as Sam gets to work. The medbay is nearly over flowing with how many of them are out for the count and Dean knows he would just get in the way if he tried to help. He will leave the healing to Sam.

“What happened?” Sam asks, finally taking a moment to pay attention to his brother.

“I heard the same high pitched screeching when Rowena got attacked and this time it busted my comms and all of the lights in the admin. When I finally was able to move Jack was already passed out and there was no sign of anyone else.” The more Dean thinks or talks about it the worse he feels. Logically he knows there is no way he could’ve predicted this all to happen and stop it before it started, but he still feels like they should have dealt with the two imposters and been on their way by now. “I gotta go fix everything in admin real quick, you got it here?”

“Yeah, I’ll radio Cas and see if he can get me the plants. Be safe out there Dean,” Sam says, looking genuinely worried. 

If there is one thing Dean will always know how to do, it is to be the reassuring big brother. “Always am Sammy!”

Dean takes off down the hallway, ignoring the annoying singing coming from Lucifer as he passes, and heads for the storage room where they keep the spare light bulbs. Grabbing as many as he can Dean heads back for the admin room when he nearly runs into Cas.

“Cas!” Dean smiles in relief knowing the other man is okay still. Cas tries to smile back but it comes off as more of a grimace than anything else. “What's wrong?”

“Besides the whole ship being disabled and majority of the crew being disabled too?” Cas asks, sarcasm dripping from every word. Dean winces. Yeah they’re not in the best of positions right now. “Sam told me about Jack.”

“I’m sorry Cas, I really am. I tried watching out for him, but then that screeching started again and I couldn’t move and then the next thing I know Jack is passed out on the floor,” Dean rambles.

“I know Dean, it's okay,” Cas soothes, reaching out a hand and placing it gently on Dean's shoulder. Even through the two suits it's comforting to Dean and he leans into the touch more. “Sam found a cure, I’m getting the final plants needed right now and then Sam said it should start to go into effect in a few hours. Once everyone is conscious again we can find the last angel and move on alright?”

Dean nods along as Cas talks. He makes it sound so simple. Get the plants, cure the crew. Find the angel, get rid of them, be on their way. A few simple and a few more complicated steps, but they have a plan. Dean can follow a plan. The two men continue the walk down the hallway, their arms brushing with every step they take. Dean lets the casual touches center him and refocuses on the task at hand. Fix up the admin room. Before they split ways, Dean grabs hold of Cas’ hand and pulls him towards him. He rests their helmets together and closes his eyes, just taking a moment for the two of them. These small moments are all they’ve had for months now and Dean can’t wait until they get back to Earth and can go back to being the sickeningly sweet couple their friends and family always tease them about.

“Love you,” Dena whispers, wishing more than anything to be able to feel Cas’ skin beneath his finger tips.

“I love you too Dean,” Cas says back. Dean can see it clear as day in Cas’ bright blue eyes. The amount of love and adoration they have for each other is obvious to everyone around them, even strangers. They were just made for each other in each and every way, and Dean will forever be grateful they found each other all those years ago. 

They pull apart, Dean heading into the dark admin room and Cas continuing to the greenhouse. Dean gets to work replacing all of the light bulbs and discovers that some of the wiring got messed up during the attack too. He follows the wires out into the hallway and down towards the storage room where they are completely fried. Quickly getting to work, cutting and reattaching the wires, Dean gets the job done in just a few minutes. With a satisfied smile Dean turns around and spots Cas watching him from a few feet away. He has an expression on his face Dean can’t quite understand which is saying something since Dean likes to consider himself an expert in all things Cas.

“You get what you needed Cas?” Dean asks, one eyebrow raised in question.

Cas blinks a few times before looking up at Dean with his head tilted slightly to the side. Dean normally finds that whole look adorable, but something about Cas is throwing him off right now. “Oh, yes. I went looking for you in admin but you had already left and then I heard noises over here and wanted to check it out. Luckily it was just you.”

“Yeah, lucky us,” Dean replies, still confused by the way Cas is acting. “Should we get the plants to Sam?

“Yes.” 

With that Cas turns on his heels and stalks out of the room. Completely bewildered Dean follows silently behind him, his eyes never leaving the cyan suit. They are nearly there when Sam shouts for them from the locker room where Lucifer is being held in a ring of holy fire. Dean follows Cas and finds Lucifer smirking at them and Sam and Adam standing a few feet away. Dean lets out a sigh of relief at seeing his two brothers safe and healthy for the time being.

“What's up Sammy?” Dean asks, taking a few more steps into the locker room. He notices Sam chewing on his bottom lip, one of his nervous ticks, and Adam avoiding all eye contact. Dean’s suspicions rise past their peak as he turns back to Cas and finds him holding a lighter in one hand.

“I’m sorry Dean,” he says.

“You’re sorry? What's going on?” Dean’s voice rises in pitch and volume as confusion sweeps through him. Instead of answering, Cas tosses the lighter to the floor where a ring of holy oil that Dean hadn’t noticed before catches flame and surrounds Dean. “What the hell man?!”

“You’re the only one it could be,” Cas says. He looks at Dean with such sad eyes it breaks Dean’s heart. “No one else has heard the screeching. You were the only one with both Rowena and Jack when they got attacked. The three of us can pass into the medbay without any issues and you haven’t even attempted once.”

The more Cas talks the more Dean finally understands what's happening. It still doesn’t make any sense though. He would know if he was possessed! Right? But everything Cas is saying is true. Dean was the only one in the same room as both Ro and Jack when they got hurt. He has been the only one to mention the high pitched screeching even though it is ear piercingly loud that everyone on the ship should have been able to hear it. And he hasn’t gone into the medbay. He has subconsciously always come up with a reason not to pass the invisible barrier keeping angels out.

“How?” Dean finally asks, his voice sounding broken even to his own ears. He has accepted the truth of the situation, but still doesn't understand how he had become processed and didn’t even know about it. 

_ “I can explain that,” _ A voice sounds in Dean’s head yet spoken aloud for the others to hear. It's as if Dean is having an out of body experience except still trapped in his own body. His movements and voice aren’t his own yet it is his body and he is still present.

“Who are you?” Sammy’s voice sounds muffled, as if Dean is submerged underwater.

_ “Michael,”  _ the voice in Dean’s head replies crystal clear.

“Why are you possessing Dean?” Cas’ deep gravelly voice is barely audible from where Dean is. Dean can’t see him, he can't really see anything. He is surrounded by darkness that's not really dark, it's really just empty with nothing in sight for as far as his eyes can see.

_ “He was the best fit,”  _ Michael responds.  _ “Adam would have probably worked too, but I found Dean first. Just like Lucifer found Nick before Sam, even though Sam would’ve been a much better vessel.” _

The imposter's words grate on Dean’s nerves. There is no way in hell Dean is letting these bastards anywhere near his brothers. 

“Why did you attack our ship?” Sammy asks.

_ “We were curious. It has been a while since a ship has passed through this area of space, and we wanted to know what Earthlings dare pass through our territory.” _

“You were curious, so you destroyed our ship, possessed two of our crew members, and attacked the rest of the crew?” Cas accuses, his voice demanding answers.

_ “I will be honest, Lucifer got a bit carried away.” _

“Oh shut up Mikey, you were doing nothing, I had to step in.” Dean recognizes Nick’s voice but knows it's the archangel talking instead. Dean wonders if Nick is going through the same kind of experience Dean is going through at the moment. 

_ “We did not intend to destroy your ship. When we boarded, your systems went haywire from our true forms and caused some damage,” _ Michael explains.  _ “As for the attacks, we merely intended to gather information, we did not foresee the effects the blades have on humans. With other species we are able to use our blades to gather information without causing harm. That is not the case with your species, as we have come to find out.” _

“Why did you keep attacking us after you realized it was causing harm then?” Sam demands answers this time. 

_ “Like I said, Lucifer got a bit carried away. I had only gone after the witch and the young one for their knowledge.”  _

“Did you get what you needed then? Will you leave now?” Adam finally speaks up.

_ “Not quite.”  _ Michael replies. Lucifer chuckles and Dean can just picture the two imposters with twin smiles on their faces. 

“What more could you need?” Cas asks.

“ _ I want you two.” _

“What!” Cas and Sam both exclaim. Dean’s heart starts pounding. No. Not them. Not any of them! Dean runs around the empty within his head looking for a door or exit or anything. He needs to get to Sam and Cas before the angels can do something to them. The more Dean runs the more defeated he gets. There’s nothing here except for endless nothing. Dean brings his hands up and swipes through his hair in frustration. He needs to get to Sam and Cas. 

Suddenly the high pitched screeching is back and Dean falls to his knees, still clutching his head with both hands. Dean screams from the pain within him. His heart rate is up, his skin is chilled and sweating at the same time, his ears are ringing, and his eyes can't see anything other than darkness.

_ “Stop it,” _ the voices hisses at him. Somehow Dean knows the voice is directed at him and it gives him hope that he can fight his way out of whatever weird mind palace Michael has him trapped in. Dean fights and screams as he tears his way back to reality. A bright light registers first and then the dull throbbing at the back of Dean’s skull.

“Dean is that you?” Sam asks. Dean blinks his eyes open, allowing them time to adjust. He can feel the heat of the fire around him, but there’s enough room so that he doesn’t get hurt. Cas is standing closest to him, worry clearly written all over his face. Dean offers him a small smile, trying to reassure him that he's alright even though they both know that's not quite the case at the moment. Sam and Adam stand a small distance away, watching him cautiously.

“It’s me,” Dean finally answers. “I’m not sure how much longer I can hold him at bay so we have to get them both out of here before they can get you guys too. Any ideas?”

Dean snapping right into captain mode must help the other three focus because suddenly Sam is running back to medbay and comes back only seconds later holding a rather large book. “Cas, take a look at this spell I found and see if you think it might work. You have always been the better one with translating.”

The two men pour over the book, Cas mumbling quietly under his breath as he reads the spell. He nods his head and says something quietly to Adam who takes off down the hall to who knows where. Sam then takes off after him leaving just Cas, Dean, and the two angels. 

“Cas, what's going on?” Dean asks.

“I think this will work.” Cas takes a few steps closer to Dean and reaches out as if to touch him before the heat of the fire reminds him of the situation. Dean watches his hand drop back down to his side, his heart breaking. What he wouldn't give to be able to be in Cas’ arms right now. “We will get you back Dean.”

“How long did you know it was me?” Dean finally asks the question that's been plaguing him since he set foot into the holy oil trap.

“Honestly?” Cas looks up at him, sadness in his deep blue eyes. Dean nods. “Since Charlie. Under any other circumstance you would have been right there by her side in the medbay until Sam gave you the all clear. You didn't even try to go into medbay.”

Dean thinks back to when he got the news that Charlie had been attacked. He remembers standing in the doorway watching Sam work but not even attempting to go in. Cas is right. Charlie has had several close calls before and Dean was always right by her side until Sam or Rowena forced him out. Even when she just broke her arm. The fact that he didn’t even try to see if she was okay himself is a major red flag.

“And then after I heard what happened to Jack, my fears were confirmed. That's when Sam, Adam, and I knew we had to get you here so that we could figure out what's going on,” Cas continues. Dean nods his head, he knows this was the best and maybe only way they could have gotten Dean to accept the truth. He probably would have argued with them, giving Michael a chance to escape or a way around their plan. “Are you okay Dean?”

“I’m fine,” he answers automatically.

“No you’re not.”

A heavy sigh falls from Dean’s lips and his shoulders slump forward. Cas knows him too well. 

“No, I’m not fine. I have a freaking archangel inside of me and almost all of my crew is unresponsive and it's all my fault.” Once Dean starts, he can’t stop. “I literally hurt at least two of them, Cas! I hurt Ro and Jack! Jack, the little ball of sunshine and I hurt him. I couldn’t protect this ship. I couldn’t protect my crew. I couldn’t protect my friends and family. Hell, I couldn’t even protect my own body!”

“Dean none of this is your fault!” Cas argues. His eyes are stormy with determination.

“Then whose fault is it?” Dean demands.

“The angels! They did this! You could never hurt Rowena or Jack and everyone knows that. I know you are worried the crew isn’t going to forgive you for this, but I can promise you they won't even think to blame you for even a second. You are the best damn captain any of us could have ever asked for even if you don’t agree. Dean, you have done so much for every single person on this ship. Let us help you and please stop blaming yourself for every single thing. It's not your fault,” Cas’ voice quiets with every word until Dean can barely hear him. Dean knows Cas means every word. Cas is not the type of person to say something he doesn’t mean or believe in. 

“ _ Okay, enough of this touchy feeling crap.” _

Dean is slammed back into the empty faster than he can blink. He cries out in pain as his whole world shatters. Cas is still out there and Micheal wants to hurt him. Dean fights with all of his might to get back to the one angel who holds his heart. Michael doesn’t budge this time though. Time passes with no meaning as Dean screams and scrambles trying to get a hold of his body and mind once more. No matter what he does all he finds in the vast empty surrounding him with no outlet to the outside world. He can't see or hear anything. He doesn’t know if Sam and Adam made it back. He doesn’t know if Cas is still alright. He doesn’t know anything other than he has to get back to them.

“I love you Dean.”

The words are crystal clear. Dean whips around, searching for their source. He knows it's Cas, but can’t find him anywhere.

“Cas?” Dean’s voice is hoarse and broken from screaming. “Cas, please. I need you.”

A searing pain starts at Dean’s feet and makes its way up his legs, spreading to his entire body. Dean screams out in agony as his whole body is engulfed in flames. The burning is so intense Dean passes out and falls to the floor, darkness and silence invading every inch of his mind once again. 

\-- -- --  


Dean jerks awake, the world around him in complete chaos. Lights on countless machines are flashing everywhere he looks. A constant beeping is going off, tuning out all other sounds. Dean watches as someone appears in the doorway pausing to glance at Dean. The flashing lights and having just woken up makes it difficult to make out anything specific, but Dean would know his boyfriend’s form anywhere.

“Heya Cas,” Dean tries to say, but his throat is so dry he's not sure how the words sound.

“Hello Dean,” Cas replies, walking over to his bedside and gently takes one of his hands into his. “How are you feeling?”

Dean takes stock of his body. He feels fine, a little tired, but that's about it. He tells Cas and Cas just smiles at him. That adorable gummy smile that Dean fell in love with the very first moment he saw it several years ago. He can’t help but smile back only to have it falter moments later when he has a coughing fit. Without a word, Cas stands up and gets him a glass of water. Dean takes it gratefully and swallows it all down quickly.

“What happened?” Dean finally asks.

“How much do you remember?” 

“I remember being possessed by a freaking archangel,” Dean states. He knows Michael is gone. He doesn’t know how he knows, but there is no trace of the archangel left. “I'm guessing the spell worked then?”

Cas nods his head. “It did. Michael put up a fight though and we weren’t sure how it was going to affect you. When he was finally ejected you were passed out on the floor and wouldn’t respond to anything. We took you to the medbay and Sam couldn’t find anything wrong. He just said it would take time, but that you would eventually be okay.”

Dean glances around the room and is relieved to see his is the only bed occupied. “The others?”

“They’re all okay. Sam had found a solution for that before we trapped you and Michael. Him and Adam made sure everyone was good before they laid the trap,” Cas explains.

“Everyone is safe,” Dean repeats. His crew and family are safe. “The ship?”

“Adam and the other engineers got it up and running so we are on our way back to Earth.”

“Good. That's good,” Dean says quietly. Part of Dean is relieved everyone is safe and healthy, but another part of him knows he has to face them and he's not sure what kind of reaction he is going to receive. Especially from Jack and Rowena. As if he can read his mind, though actually he may be able to, Cas leans over and gently cups Dean's face with his hand. Forcing them to lock eyes. They are so close together Dean can feel Cas’ breath on his lips. 

“No one, not a single soul, on this ship blames you for what happened.”

There is so much conviction in Cas’ tone, Dean almost believes him. They both know it will take a while for Dean to fully believe those words, but for now it is enough. Cas leans forward a little more and they rest their foreheads together. Dean squeezes his eyes shut and sucks in a shuddering breath. He almost lost them. He almost lost them all. Cas shushes him gently and kisses his forehead.

“It's okay Dean. Everyone is okay,” Cas whispers. Dean nods his head and pulls Cas’ lips down towards his own. The kiss is soft and sweet. Something to just reassure Dean this is all real and the love of his life is really sitting right there next to him. He’s not sure how much time passes with them trading soft kisses back and forth, just enjoying the other's warmth, when a voice from the hall causes them to break apart.

“Dean! You’re awake!” Jack shouts from the doorway. “Guys! Dean’s awake!”

Jack rushes over to the other side of Dean’s bed with a big smile plastered on his face. There isn’t a single sign of anger or blame on his face and Dean sighs in relief. Suddenly a stampede of footsteps comes from the halls and the rest of the crew piles into the medbay all cheering and smiling at the sight of their captain awake and okay. It’s as if nothing happened. Everyone is okay and in good spirits. They’re heading home safe and sound. Dean has his family with him and couldn’t ask for anything more. 

He shares a secret smile with Cas and knows everything is going to be alright.

**Author's Note:**

> Please please please go check out the [ art master post](https://archiveofourown.org/works/30006900) for this fic! 
> 
> Thank you all for reading!!!! Hope everyone enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> Again thank you so much to [ Jaeh (AO3)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaeh) [ (Tumblr)](https://ineffablynoice.tumblr.com/) for coming up with this wonderful idea!
> 
> Love Destiel? Over 18? Join us on the [ ProfoundBond Discord](https://discord.gg/profoundbond) server for like-minded chats, friendly people, and inspiration for reading and writing!


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